NAWIC is the National Association of Women in Construction, an international not-for-profit association dedicated to the advancement of women in the construction industry. The UK & Ireland branch was founded in 2003 after signing an international affiliation agreement. It is run by committees of volunteers who work within organisations or run their own businesses in the construction industry.

NAWIC is not only for women, though we are women-focussed. Most of our events are open to everyone and we value the contributions of all those who work towards a more gender-equal construction industry of the future.

NAWIC members include architects, operatives, lawyers, engineers, surveyors, project managers, students and many others working directly in construction or providing services to the industry. NAWIC has helped countless women expand their skillset, secure a promotion, develop key industry knowledge and increase their visibility at work.

OUR PURPOSE is to build an equitable and inspiring construction industry.

OUR VISION is to increase the number of women joining the construction industry and to continuously support women in construction so their careers may flourish.

OUR MISSION is to provide opportunities for networking with industry peers of diverse professional backgrounds, to offer quality and affordable training, to contribute to and improve industry standards, to engage with allies to advocate our cause, to celebrate and provide a platform for our fantastic role models, and to promote the construction industry as an attractive career choice for the next generation.

The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) began as Women in Construction of Fort Worth, founded on September 11, 1953 by Doris Efird and 15 other women who were looking for a support system. These women were all actively employed in the construction industry and had been doing business with each other for years when they decided to finally meet face to face. […]

This progressive group of women had the foresight to create an atmosphere where they could network and support each other professionally as well as personally. This support system gave them the confidence to reach for and achieve their goals. When describing this group of women, Alice Ashley [one of the 16 NAWIC founders, right] said, “We were women with electricity in our veins, cement dust on our shoes, sawdust on our minds… busy, busy, busy, filthy things.”

Thanks to NAWIC.org for the wonderful photos. The History of NAWIC is at nawic.org